AAAAGGGGGHHHHH!!!! I have no idea what I'm allergic to, but I am covered in what Dr. Google tells me is hives. It started Friday night, and I thought it might have been due to eating some macadamia nuts (which I have no prior history of issues with, but it was the only unusual thing I ate that day). But no, they haven't gone away, and though I thought they were going away yesterday and this morning, they are worse than ever this evening. I have been over everything in my mind - I haven't been exposed to any animals, I haven't eaten anything unusual (or indeed even any common food at all before each new outbreak), no new soaps or detergents, no plants, no anything. I am baffled and itchy. So very, very itchy. Did you know you could get hives on the palms of your hands?

Anyway, I can't go to a doctor because I simply do not have any money. Besides, the internet tells me that a doctor would be able to do very little besides tell me to avoid the trigger (which I don't know) and take Benadryl. I certainly can't afford a battery of tests that may or may not reveal what caused this rashy hell.

Does anyone have any tips for the itchiness? I am in serious agony here.

Thanks for the info! That's very interesting. Mine are red, smooth areas of raised skin in varying sizes, definitely not blister-like at all. They also seem to be in fairly constant flux (they will appear and disappear, sometimes in different locations) and ALL over my body.

i have gone through periods where i have had lots of allergic reactions, and several doctors have told me that i could narrow down the trigger by looking for what area of my body has the most concentrated and intense reaction- if your belly is a bumpy mess and you wake up scratching it, it is likely to be triggered by what you ate. If the concentration is on limbs, it is likely a reaction to something topical. I have found this to be less then perfect- for example the first couple of times i reacted to erythromycin, i thought it was topical, it was only after i had a wheezing episode, i saw that it was linked with the antibiotic and i had likely reacted before (in my early twenties, they gave it to me for my acne). I hope that helps. OH! and benydral is very helpful, also, oatmeal baths (whiz it in the blender first, and put it in some cloth so you don't have scrub the tub after).

A fair number of rashes are actually caused by a virus. Two common ones are hand-foot-mouth disease and Pityriasis Rosea. From your description, it could be the latter. If so, you have my sympathy, as it can last for quite some time - anywhere from 3-12 weeks.

Steroid cream is all the doctor would give you anyway even if you were able to go to a doctor. Don't sweat it, they will go away on their own in a few days most likely. It is very hard to pinpoint what causes all cases of hives unless there is an obvious allergen. I got hives a couple of years ago out of the blue, they covered my body from upper thighs, entire torso area and upper arms. I think it was due to stress. I was in a class that I had a practical exam I was freaking out over for a couple of days and then suddenly got hives. I am not allergic to anything that I know of and that is the only time I ever got them.

I've had those from random mystery food allergies, and they suck. I've just taken Benadryl and they've gone away within 24 hours. But they are miserable, so you definitely have my sympathy and hopes that they clear up soon.

_________________My oven is bigger on the inside, and it produces lots of wibbly wobbly, cake wakey... stuff. - The PoopieB.

i break out in hives more often than i like. over the years, i determined my breakouts are caused by stressful events than food-related stuff.anti-histamine like benadryl and calamine lotion are what i use. calamine helps with itchy spots but i have yet to find one that's vegan.

Oh man, I feel so bad for you.I can't really ad anything new to this discussion. I've experienced breaking out in hives twice. Like full body and face covered.Anyway; I took Benadryl for a couple of days, and after that it went away. I dont know if the Benadryl cured it or just eased the pain/discomfort. Sending lots of warm thoughts.

My mom got hives repeatedly in the months before we moved to the States, and then never again. We pretty much figure it was a stress reaction versus an allergy. I think they just went away on their own each time, which isn't helpful. But benadryl should definitely help.

we've had this happen with my daughter and gotten all sorts of weird explanations that never seemed to help. everything from "combination allergens" (which i think is BS- two things that alone don't cause a reaction but together do, like mosquito bite + chocolate) to her being allergic to her own reaction to something (?). There have been times when her head's been swollen and if she weren't likely to find it i would post a pic- but she'd kill me. We've done the normal ped and the ER but it always comes back to benadryl and topical relief.

ETA: this happened to my husband last year and there was no trigger we could think of either, and the doctor was sure it was a virus as well.

I imagine you've probably taken the benadryl already and figured it out yourself, but be careful- it can be a knockout pill so make sure you don't have to drive or anything.

sweetT- i'm afraid to ask, but what's in the calamine that's not vegan? i've got a clear one here and unless i'm missing something there's nothing except for maybe glycerine.

Benadryl and topical benadryl (diphenhydramine) cream! I went through tons of the cream when I had a mystery rash while I was pregnant and it got pretty expensive, but then I discovered they have it at Dollar Tree if you have that near you! Be aware that if you take oral benadryl it can reduce your milk supply (you're breastfeeding, right?).

Thanks everyone! I talked to my dad (he's an RN) and he confirmed that it is hives, that a doctor visit would do nothing but cost me money, it will eventually go away on its own, and to keep treating it topically and with Benadryl.

Today I woke up and it was mostly gone, and I had hardly any all day, but after dinner it started coming back with a vengeance which is consistent with the last few days. I don't know why, but thankfully(?) it's the worst in the evening and at night, so taking Benadryl at that time is less disruptive.

Thanks for the info on the milk supply mooo - I am still breastfeeding, but poopiebaby is two now so he nurses a lot less than he used to. He does seem to nursing a bit more the last few nights, so I'm guessing that's why.

Oh man, hives are the worst! I remember the doctor prescribing me some weird medication because the Benadryl wasn't cutting it. I wish I could remember what it was, it really worked! Mine was from Amoxicillin. I hope you get better soon.

I get hives all the time. I have been to an allergist and am allergic to basically everything so they said it would take multiple test to narrow down what exactly was causing the hives. Because I have crappy student health insurance I passed on that, but I have found that if I take a benadryl. a zertec, and a zantac every night, I don't get hives. So that's what I do. Problem solved.

Sorry to bump the thread, but I have hives right now too. It started appearing Thursday morning. Claritin was effective at getting rid of it, as was benadryl. Apparently alcohol aggravates breakouts though, as the meds ceased being effective after drinking. I get breakouts every year or so, seemingly at random. Never been able to track down the source; even had some allergy tests which didn't reveal anything.

It is madness inducing, but it eventually goes away. I'm already going crazy, though.

A fair number of rashes are actually caused by a virus. Two common ones are hand-foot-mouth disease and Pityriasis Rosea. From your description, it could be the latter. If so, you have my sympathy, as it can last for quite some time - anywhere from 3-12 weeks.

Huh, I had a mystery rash a few years back, one that had no trigger that could make sense to me. I wonder if it was one of these. It lasted like a month and a half before it went away.

_________________Evolved a vascular system, so I went from bryophyte to lycophyte.

we've had this happen with my daughter and gotten all sorts of weird explanations that never seemed to help. everything from "combination allergens" (which i think is BS- two things that alone don't cause a reaction but together do, like mosquito bite + chocolate) to her being allergic to her own reaction to something (?)..

It sounds a bit like oral-allergy syndrome, which is a sort of food allergy, but not really anaphylactic. The food has a similar chemical as a plant pollen (or whatever) that you are allergic to so it fights both, but only if the other is there.

For example, my old roommate would have a hard time with some raw vegetables or fruits (cooked was fine) and would get itchy throat, etc, but mostly during the growing season.